A shifting device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle which comprises a gear-shift lever, which can be moved in an automatic shift track to select gear-shift positions, is known from DE 100 57 299 A1. This automatic shift track can comprise, for example, gear-shift positions for Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive. The known shifting device also comprises a locking mechanism, which can be switched at least between a locked state and a released state. It also comprises a release button for changing the state of the locking mechanism. In the locked state, the locking mechanism blocks the movement of the gear-shift lever at least into the Park and Reverse positions and at least out of the Park position. In the released state, the locking mechanism allows the gear-shift lever to be moved at least between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive.
The known shifting device also comprises a manual shift track, in which the gear-shift lever can be moved between a middle position, an upshift position, and a downshift position. A transverse shift track is also provided so that the gear-shift lever can be switched between the automatic shift track and the manual shift track.
DE 199 13 835 A1 describes another shifting device, the locking mechanism of which comprises an arresting gate with gate sections assigned to the individual shift positions, into which sections a blocking element, which can be actuated by the release button, can engage. A pivot gate is provided at an offset from the arresting gate. The blocking element can be moved into this pivot gate from the neutral shift position by actuating the release button with greater force. This makes it possible to pivot the gear-shift lever into a horizontal rest position. As a result, the gear-shift lever can be accommodated in a very small space, which is desirable in cases where the space in which the shifting device is located is used, for example, as a passageway between a cockpit and a sleeping cabin.
DE 100 21 461 C1 shows a shifting device with a blocking mechanism for blocking the gear-shift lever in Park and Neutral. For this purpose, the blocking mechanism comprises two separate locking elements, which cooperate with a common blocking gate. One of the locking elements engages in the blocking gate to block the Park position, whereas the other locking element engages in the blocking gate to block the Neutral position.
DE 197 28 064 B4 shows another shifting device with a blocking mechanism, by means of which the gear-shift lever can be blocked in Park. For this purpose, a blocking element is provided, which can engage in an arresting gate, which comprises gate sections assigned to the gear-shift positions of the gear-shift lever. A blocking element connected to the gear-shift lever works together with the arresting gate. When the gear-shift lever is in Park, the blocking element on the gear-shift lever side is engaged in the associated section of the gate. To block the Park position, the blocking element of the blocking mechanism now also engages in the arresting gate in such a way that the blocking element on the gear-shift lever side can no longer be moved out of the section of the gate assigned to Park.
A shifting device for a tractor by means of which two gear ratios of a gearbox can be selected is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,433. At the bottom of a shifting knob, the gear-shift lever comprises two short stops and one long stop, which project into a gate. The gate comprises a first gate section for the first shifting stage, a second gate section for the second shifting stage, and a central, third gate section assigned to a neutral position, located between the two first-mentioned gate sections. The short stops make it possible to block the gear-shift lever in the gear-shift positions assigned to the two gear ratios and in the position assigned to neutral. The long stop realizes end stops for the adjusting movement of the gear-shift lever in the first gate section and also in the second gate section. By pulling the gear-shift lever out, the short stops come free of the gate and make it possible, for example, to move the gear-shift lever out of the gear-shift position assigned to one of the two gear ratios. It can then be pushed into the neutral position. The long stop guarantees here that, with the help of an end stop, the neutral position will be found. By pulling the gear-shift lever out even farther, the long stop will also come free of the gate, so that it is possible to rotate the shifting knob 180° around its longitudinal axis. As a result, the long stop can be moved over from the first gate section to the second gate section. After that, the gear-shift lever can be moved in the second gate section, which is assigned to the second gear ratio.
DE 101 46 776 B4 describes a shifting device in which the gear-shift lever can be moved to various positions in a two-dimensional shift gate. To block the gear-shift lever in Park and Reverse, locking elements are provided, which engage directly in the shift gate and cooperate directly with the gear-shift lever.
WO 2005/025916 A1 describes a shifting device with a blocking mechanism which comprises a latching cone, which engages in a recess assigned to the Park position, this recess being formed in a segment disk, which moves concomitantly with the gear-shift lever. The latching lever has a latching projection and two parallel side pieces.